Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to sonic reactors used to transfer intense kinetic energy to process fluid mediums.
Background of the Invention
Sonic reactors (sometimes called sonic generators) for converting electrical energy into kinetic energy via acoustic resonance for transfer to process fluid mediums are known and used in industrial applications. There has been successful innovation in the concept of exciting a cylindrical element, such as a bar or tube, into its natural resonance frequency, and allowing the resonant element to vibrate in a substantially unrestrained and free-floating manner. This allows for maximum and efficient transmission of the kinetic energy emitted by the resonant element into the fluid medium, thus minimizing energy losses to the support structure.
Industrial applications of sonic reactors include grinding or dispersing of agglomerated minerals, and concentrated mixing of solid, fluid and/or mixed solid-fluid mediums. The high intensity energy transferred to the fluid being processed facilitates deagglomeration of solids to allow for enhanced separation and recovery of desirable minerals, and uniformly distributes solid and/or fluid particles throughout the medium, which maximizes and intensifies the effective surface-to-surface contact shear area between fluid and/or solid mediums and allows for efficient conversion of desired chemical reactions and/or depositions.
Nyberg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,773, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a sonic generator with horizontal orientation of the resonant element as it applies to grinding applications. The patent states that “a resonant member is supported on nodal locations . . . which nodal points have been calculated or have been found by simply resonating the member and observing the nodal locations”. However, the disclosed apparatus does not incorporate in its design the ability to account for small to large variations in the resonance frequency of the resonant element. When referring to sonic reactor applications that involve attaching a grinding or mixing chamber to one or more free ends of the resonant element, the patent does not take into account the effect that such attachment has on the natural resonance frequency of the resonant element, and thus on the nodal positions of the resonant element. As the grinding or mixing chambers are rigidly mounted directly to the resonant element itself, this effectively represents an increase in the length and mass of the resonant element, which directly influences the location of the nodal points. Prior art sonic reactor designs have not included a mechanism that allows for the adjustment of the nodal support ring position to account for this effect.
Actual operating conditions of sonic reactors in industrial practice typically vary greatly, and there exists a need for a mechanism that can be adjusted to the nodal positions of the resonant element with respect to mass additions to the free end or ends of the resonant element and/or variation in length of the resonant element itself.